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| More than skin deep |
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文 / 蘇珊
ON a basic level, Wu Cheng-hsiung's show titled "Department of Dermatology" examines the fundamental properties of skin. Yet it is only when we dig deeper into his work that we see his meaning is not just skin deep, that he is exploring the philosophical and sociological implications of skin.
Upon entering the front exhibition space, one sees two horizontal rows of framed images. The lower row consists of close-up color photographs of skin ailments, imperfections and markings ranging from the unplanned -- rashes, moles, lesions, fungus, warts and scars -- to the self-inflicted -- hickeys, tattoos, bruises and scabs. The images touch on many social issues, until eventually, the viewer realizes that sometimes we judge others by and are defined by the markings on our skin. Some markings connote social acceptance, such as the "beauty mark," while others connote ostracism, such as herpes blisters.
Immediately above the photographs is a row of plaster casts that seem to mimic the images. On the white plaster surface, Wu applied faint red dots in watercolor to simulate the skin ailment depicted in the photograph. The casts seem to be copies of the photographs: the photograph is the documented fact while the plaster is the interpretation or the art. Wu ironically placed the photo and cast together to raise questions about originality and simulation. As a result, he is asking the viewer not to accept things on the surface (skin) level but to delve deeper into its core.
Skin becomes the metaphor for Wu's philosophical search and his work shifts from a literal meaning to a figurative meaning. All of a sudden, one realizes that his work is not about the actual surface of skin but the issues that are raised when thinking about skin. Barely noticeable, the shift is so subtle and gives this exhibition intense power.
Downstairs, one sees a commentary on how medical practice is now utilized for cosmetic purposes because of our current fascination with transforming hirsute, imperfect skin into flawless, pale skin. Suspended from the ceiling is a silicon skin of an anatomically correct male complete with facial and body hair. Close by is a nude mannequin, with neon green hair and a pierced nose standing near a hospital bed. First aid swabs and tubes of whitening make-up lie on a hospital table while an array of alcohol bottles give off an antiseptic odor. In a large glass vessel lies a latex sheath of breasts and nipples.
In a corner are plaster busts of Peking Man, Caesar and Voltaire that symbolize vastly different civilizations with unique ways of perceiving skin. The plaster bust of Peking Man was produced using modern casting methods and is included to show us the exoticism that taints our view of primitive cultures. During Caesar's time, sculptors tried to create more lifelike and psychologically penetrating images of people while Voltaire signifies the Age of Reason and the emergent scientific approach to the body.
Wu, while alluding to contemporaneous theory, shows us in an astute way that contemporary art is no longer about the initial surface impression or is no longer concerned with the "skin" of the paint that covers the canvas.
(By Susan Kendzulak, Special Contributor of TAIPEI TIMES
Saturday, Mar 18, 2000, Page 11) |
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